Car2Go! Now in Calgary!

Car sharing on a relatively large scale has finally come to Calgary through an established company called Car2Go. There have been a few people who have blasted the $65 per day fee as outrageous. But one has to consider that the fee structure of $0.35 per minute to a maximum of $13 per hour (and a limit of 200km per share) is designed to motivate members to re-tool their driving habits to strive for shorter, more efficient, multiple destination car trips. The longer you have the car, the more it costs. So efficiency and planning are key.

I took a look at their service area (where you can go to find cars) and there are several just a few blocks away. I live just outside the 'home area'. A feature I like is that you can maximize your likelihood of getting a car by planning trips in advance and booking car share sessions online.

Car2Go is powered by gasoline Smart cars. Your fee covers the use of the car, gas, insurance, parking and maintenance. Disciplined users can save a fortune in transportation costs compared to the permanent ownership of a car. Especially for downtown core dwellers, this is an idea whose time has come.

Now if only they had a few pickup trucks or wagons for trips to IKEA........